Are you, or someone you know, unhappy in your career? Grace McCready uncovers three lethal lies that many of us have bought into at one time or another and shows us how to stop believing lies about our careers.
Three Lies We Believe About Our Careers
Even before I attended college, I thought a lot about the career that I wanted to have. I’ve wanted to be a writer since I was a little girl, but as I got older, I realized that I might not be able to make a career out of writing. I quickly recognized the significant challenges that often accompany a writing career—unpredictability in schedule and workload, low income, few (or zero) benefits like health insurance, constant rejection from publishers, etc.
I desperately wanted to be a writer, but I didn’t feel confident that I could write for my career. So, after I graduated from college, I got a job at an IT consulting company. And I thrived there. I got along well with my coworkers. My boss appreciated my hard work. I got promoted after about a year.
I knew that I was where God wanted me to be, but feelings of discontentment still crept in. One of the main reasons I think I struggled with discontentment was because I was falling for these three lies:
One of the main reasons I think I struggled with discontentment was because I was falling for these three lies. Grace McCready #Career, #Hope Click To TweetLie #1: God can only use my gifts and passions in a career setting.
God certainly can—and sometimes does—use our gifts and passions in a career setting, but He often uses our gifts and passions to strengthen the Church and expand His kingdom. You might not have the opportunity to paint, cook, write, play an instrument, or do other things you enjoy while you’re at work. But you can certainly find other productive, meaningful outlets for those skills. For example, I’ve had the opportunity to write for young women on my blog and to write for several Christian websites. Those are gifts and passions that I can’t really use at work, but God has still provided ways for me to use them.
Lie #2: I will only find fulfillment in my career if I get my dream job.
This is a lie that I’ve often believed (and sometimes still do). I feel like God designed me with the ability to write and the passion to write. But, as I’ve learned at the IT consulting company that I work for, there are a lot of really broken people in our world—and God might want me to reach them in other ways besides through my writing. Living out our passions isn’t the only way that we can find fulfillment; there is great fulfillment in being a light to a dark world, even in ways you didn’t plan to.
Lie #3: My career makes me who I am.
Friends, this is absolutely the biggest lie that we believe about our careers. No matter what your career is—or if you don’t have a career—the above statement isn’t true. Satan loves when we tie our identities to things, like our careers, job titles, and salaries, rather than to Christ. But tying our identities to anything besides our unchanging Savior is futile and foolish. Your career might be an aspect of your life, but it’s not who you are.
I think this passage from 1 Peter sums up the truth very well:
But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; for you once were not a people, but now you are the people of God; you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. Beloved, I urge you as aliens and strangers to abstain from fleshly lusts which wage war against the soul. Keep your behavior excellent among the Gentiles, so that in the thing in which they slander you as evildoers, they may because of your good deeds, as they observe them, glorify God in the day of visitation” (1 Peter 2:9-12 NASB1995).
I believe that God works in our lives, including in our careers. Everything that we do at work matters because every opportunity at work is an opportunity to glorify God. However, in trying to do well in our careers, we sometimes start to believe that God can only use our gifts and passions in a career setting, we will only find fulfillment in our careers if we get our dream jobs, and our careers make us who we are. Today, fight back against those lies and soak in the truth of 1 Peter 2:9-12.
What lies about your career have zapped your joy? Comment here.
Meet Grace McCready:
Grace McCready enjoys spending time with her family, hanging out with friends, and watching her favorite TV shows. She is the author of Real Recovery: What Eating Disorder Recovery Actually Looks Like. She shares personal stories + Scripture to encourage young women at her blog, Tizzie’s Tidbits of Truth.
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I find that that career/work can consume much of my day whether at work or not. I love what I do for work, however I am thinking that better boundaries are necessary. I will pray about that.
Susan, I think that is a big one for many of us. May the Lord help us find balance.
Grace, this post is spot on. When I was a teacher (many years ago), I struggled with the third lie in particular. Especially as a young teacher, I felt like I wasn’t measuring up as an educator. Thankfully, God realigned my understanding about my career and my worth, but it’s taken many years to fully embrace the truths you’ve shared here.
Jeanne, I think a lot of us can relate to that.
I never had a “career” and never aspired to be a career woman. My aspiration was to be a mom and that was something God fulfilled. Through that and raising my children and now enjoying my grandchildren I found other gifts and ways to be a blessing to moms and children. I love the truths you shared here – our main purpose and “career” is to glorify God in all we do and expand His kingdom. I may not have a huge platform, but if my children and grandchildren grow up knowing and loving the Lord they may be able to reach so many more people. It all counts!
Amen! Wise words, Ann.
Thank you for exposes these lies from the enemy. I have wrestled with each one through the years. But I seek to find fulfillment and purpose in Christ alone.
Lisa, it is so easy to buy into these without even realizing it. Thanks for reading and sharing.
It took me a long time to find the career I felt God had for me. But along the way, I wanted to do my best at every job I had because I felt as a Christian, my performance reflected Christ.
I guess I fell for lie #3 thinking my career made me who I am; but now I see my profession of accepting Christ as my Savior makes me who I am!
Yes! Thanks for sharing your story, Jerralea.
Grace, I’ve worked my way through many jobs in my life and can say that your observations are spot-on. Thanks!
Annie, thanks for adding your experience.
Grace and Debbie, Your message really spoke to me today. I’m retired now, but was really engaged in my career. Retirement has been a hard challenge for me because my identity was so much a part of my career. I’ve struggled to find my purpose, even after years of being retired. I’m grateful for your message–you’ve given me a lot to reflect on and pray about. Thank you.
Katherine, I think we go through the same transition when our children leave home and that job changes. Life is a continual journey of learning and growing.
Debbie, oh there’s so much rich truth and common sense here for us to take to heart. Our circumstances, work and otherwise, come and go. But who we are in Christ lasts forever. What a beautiful, gracious gift to identify ourselves fully by who we are in Him.
Love how you said that, Linda. “a beautiful, gracious gift to identify ourselves fully by who we are in Him.”